So I am very far behind in my BoxyCharm unboxings! I am just going to give you a quick rundown on what I received for the past 3 months, and if I have tried out the products, what I thought about them!

August 2016 BoxyCharm

The theme for August BoxyCharm was 'Express Yourself' and I received 5 full size products plus a mini brush! The total value of the August box was $119.95 USD!!! The only brand I even heard about was Coastal Scents, and I had not tried anything from them before, I don't think anyway! I kind of like that about beauty subscriptions though, it gives me a chance to tryout products from brands that I may not have tried out otherwise. On to the contents of the August 'Express Yourself' BoxyCharm!

Coastal Scents Blush + Bronzer Mini Palette with bonus Angled Brush - Everything for a stunning face, all in one palette! It's all about your creativity...it's all about your look! I was excited to give this blush palette a try as I have heard about Coastal Scents but never tried anything from them. The palette has 1 matte and one shimmer blush, as well as a matte and shimmer bronzer and a highlighter. The 'shimmer' is just to much for me, it looks like straight up glitter on me! I do really like the matte products in the palette though. All 5 of the products are nicely pigmented and lasted a good 6-8 hours before they started to noticeably fade. $13.95 + 6.00 USD.

Aloette Time Repair Serum - Time Repair Serum is a powerful age-defying skin care complex, fortified with alpha and beta hydroxy acids to smooth away dead skin cells and powerful antioxidants to protect skin from damaging free radicals Formulated for all skin types, this non irritating, lightweight formula absorbs quickly to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a renewed radiance. I haven't tried this out yet, but i am looking forward to using this after I finish up the one I am using right now. $48.00 USD.

Dirty Little Secret Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick - Create a long lasting velvet matte lip with this gorgeous liquid lipstick newly launched by Dirty Little Secret. I got this in the shade 'Phantom', which is a bright red shade. Not my kind of shade, so I haven't even opened it. $10.00 USD.

Makeup Eraser AmpliMascara - From the creators of the Makeup Eraser, we introduce to you: AmpliMascara! Use this bold mascara to seriously amp up your look by creating a full and thick set of lashes. Well, I lied, I have heard about Makeup Eraser as well! I hadn't even read the card until I sat down to write this post...oops. I have a huge backup of mascara samples to get through but I am always game to try out a new one! $23.00 USD.

Beauty For Real Shadow Stx - This paraben free and cruelty free, long-wearing, cream-to-powder eyeshadow stick is easy to apply and is infused with meadowfoam seed oil to moisturize, rejuvenate and reduce signs of aging. Thats a lot of claims for a shadow stick! Again I haven't tried this out, I received the shade Midnight Marathon' which is a pretty copper-y shade. This is a shade I can see myself wearing, but I have just recently discovered the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks and I am loving it! $19.00 USD.

September 2016 BoxyCharm

The theme for September BoxyCharm was "Camp Glam' and again, I received 5 full size products! This is, I think, what I like the most about BoxyCharm! No little sample size products, I have so far, only received full size items. The total value for the September BoxyCharm box was $127.95, thats crazy! I had even heard and/or tried products from 3 out of the 5 for this month. I was excited for this month of BoxyCharm when I saw during the sneak peeks that would be getting an eyeshadow palette full of warm neutrals shades! Those are my favorite eyeshadow shades! ON to the contents of the September 'Express Yourself' BoxyCharm.

Project Beauty Hairgurt Smoothing Yogurt Hair Masque - A smoothing yogurt hair masque made with yogurt protein, prebiotics, quinoa, a botanical oil blend and bio-keratin. I had never heard of this hair product brand before, but hair masques are always good, especially with the cooler months coming. I haven't used this on myself yet, but I have used it on 2 other people. It smells like strawberry yogurt, in a good way! and really seemed to help to smooth out the hair cuticle and made it easy to comb through, without weighing down the hair. $11.00 USD.

Vasanti Professional Foundation Brush - Specially shaped & designed to create a flawless, even, and natural looking foundation application. I have never gotten the hang of using a foundation brush shaped like this, I prefer to use a flat top kabuki or similar shaped brush. What I love using these paddle shaped brushes for, is for applying face masks! They are the perfect size and shape to use with face masks. $32.00 USD.

PÜR Cosmetics Lip Lure - Let your lips speak for you with beautifully bold color and shine! This richly pigmented lip lacquer saturates your lips in true color and pout-perfecting hydration. Using a unique, flocked shower-head applicator, this creamy, full coverage liquid formula creates a show stopping look in just one stroke! I received the shade 'Fiery' which is a darker red shade. I didn't think it would be a shade I would wear but I wanted to try out the formula! It felt great going on and was completely opaque in one swipe! I actually didn't mind the color to much either! Unfortunately, this never dried down and was not transfer proof at all. It did however stain my lips slightly, which I actually liked better than when I first applied it! $22.00 USD.

Studio Makeup "On-The_Go" Palette - On the Go eyeshadow palette is a compilation of shades that updates the bare beauty look with a cosmopolitan attitude. The On the Go Eyeshadow Palette includes 9 shades that are perfect for creating day or night looks! There are 5 matte and 4 shimmer shades, all in warm toned neutral shades, my favorite! I have been reaching for this palette a ton since I got it. It has the perfect mix of matte and shimmery shades that combined make the easiest eye looks. $49.95 USD.

Hikari Cosmetics Eye LIner - The perfect mechanical eyeliner with a smooth formula for easy application. I have received products from Hikari before and they have been ok, nothing great, but not the worst either. I received this eyeliner in the shade 'Raven', which as you can tell from the name is black. I rarely, if ever, wear black eyeliner, I prefer to use brown. I haven't used this and won't be using it for that reason. $13.00 USD.

October 2016 BoxyCharm

And finally, October's BoxyCharm! The theme for October was 'Boxy Bazaar', and yet once again, 5 full size products. The total value for the October BoxyCharm was $127.50, are we starting to see a theme, you pay, in my case being Canadian just over $30 a month and the boxes have a retail value of over $100 USD. I had heard and/or tried products from 4 of the 5 brands for this month, getting better! The product I was looking forward to from the sneak peeks was actually the brushes and the hair product. In the October 'Boxy Bazaar' BoxyCharm I received-

IBY Beauty Threes Company Trio Eye Shadow - These three "must have shades" are perfect for fast and easy eye shadow contouring. Use the trio to brighten and define your eyes and make them appear dramatically bigger. $19.00 USD.

Now you probably noticed that I did not give my thoughts on the products I received in the October BoxyCharm! I have decided that from now on I would write what I received in the current months BoxyCharm, with swatches, and than give you my thoughts on the previous months products. This way I will have had a month to try out products and by than I should have decided whether or not I liked them! I was also thinking on having a running total of 'retail value' of the products that I like and also the ones I don't like and maybe at the end of the year do a comparison. Almost an is it worth it wrap up of BoxyCharm.

Now that I am up to date on BoxyCharm, I can hopefully stay on track with these ones to!

I figured it was about time I did an update on how I am doing on getting through the never ending Sample Stash! I can say that I am finding a few that I really like and am adding to a list that I am interested in purchasing. Also a few that I really don't even want to see again and will give away if I get them again. But to me that is the reason why I wanted to start going through them, not to mention that they are starting to take up a lot of space. Having started picking out a few samples to use and having them out where they are visible is reminding me to try them out as well.

September Sample Trash

In September I started the month off well using samples!

Urban Decay-Brightening & Tightening Primer- I really liked this primer, a lot! No one ever talks about this one but it is going on my list to purchase! It has more of a lotion consistency and felt great. I did find it helped with the oiliness a bit as well.

Urban Decay-Pore Perfecting Primer- This was fairly thick and did cover pores, but it didn't make makeup last longer at all. The oils on my nose broke through really fast to.

Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil- This worked ok, but I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like cleansing oils!

Clinique Pep-Start eye cream x2- I found this eye cream to actually be kind of sticky feeling, and it took awhile for that feeling to go away! I also didn't find it to be very moisturizing at all.

Urban Decay-Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion- I used to really like this eye primer a lot, until they changed the packaging back to a squeezy tube. I find that now it has a drier consistency that just doesn't work well with my eyelids! You would think that it would since they are on the oily side, but they also are older eye lids, so I do have creepiness as well and this just accentuates that.

Hourglass-Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation- I wasn't a huge fan of this foundation. It dries down very quickly, so I found it best to work in sections. I could feel it on my skin to, not a nice feeling!

Origins-Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief- I was able to get 2 uses out of this mask sample, and while it worked ok, the smell was like dirt!

Dr Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm- I REALLY liked this BB cream! It felt great and had just the right amount of coverage! Sadly when I went to the Sephora site, this one isn't available in Canada.

Dior-j'adore- I wasn't a huge fan of this scent on me, it smelled fairly flowery mixed with powdery. Not my favorite.

Thierry Mugler-Angel-I love this scent! Whenever I wore it I got asked what I was wearing because it smelled so good. I am putting this on my wish list.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black-Another scent that I love and is added to wish list!

Giorgio Armani-Si- 3 out of 4 perfumes that I loved! I really like this one as well, and surprisingly it has made it to my wish list as well!

Sample Stash Trash October 2016

In October I didn't manage to use up as many samples,

Origins Clear Improvement Mask- It took me forever to use this up! I only really used it on my T-zone. It did an ok job, nothing spectacular but it works! I would have added it to my list but I am trying out a new one now that I am really liking!

nude-Perfect Cleanse x2- This was ok, nothing spectacular! It didn't make my face feel tight, which is always a bonus!

GlamGlow-Brightmud Eye Treatment- Sadly this is my last one of these. I like them, it feels great when it is on and it does help improve the look of your under eye area, but sadly the results don't last very long at all. I just went to look this up and it's no longer on Sephora's site! When did that happen?!

bliss-that's incredi-'peel'!- This peel comes in the form of a product saturated pad. It seemed to do a good job of getting the drier bits off my face. My face didn't seem to react to it, so all in all, not bad.

Skin Inc-Pure Deepsea Hydrating Mask- If you have a drier skin type this is a great mask! It gave my drier areas a much needed boost of moisture.

Skin Inc-Pure Revival Peel- I put this all over my face and when I started rubbing it in if formed little balls of dead skin! My face felt so smooth afterwards! I had not tried any face peels but I think I like them! You can actually see them working and my face felt so smooth and soft afterwards.

Tarte-Drink of H2O- This is my second deluxe sample of this face moisturizer. I like it but only at night, at least in the warmer months, it takes along time to absorb into the skin. It has a nice citrus-y scent which I do like!

Tarte-Lights, Camera, Lashes- I am not sure what was up with this sample of mascara, I usually really like it! This tube smudged on me though! I have never had that happen before with this one. Maybe it was an old tube? The Tarte usually makes my lashes look great and never smudges.

One thing I have noticed, I have to actually remember to put the products in their respective dishes to actually remember to use them! You can tell that I feel off the wagon in October and forgot to replenish my stashes of samples! I thought it was time to update you, and me!, on where I am with using up my samples. I went back in and added up my samples again, it's scary huge! My husband also made me a database so that I can better track my thoughts on the samples as I use them, it is the best thing ever! He made it in Ninox, for iPhone, and now I want to put in everything I have so I can better a) keep track of what i have so I don't pick up the same thing, b) figure out what I do and don't like so I can get rid of what I don't like, and not just keep throwing it back in the drawer, pulling it out and trying it again and realizing, hey I remember this, I don't like it! I think it would be a great idea! Having it on my phone as well as the computer make it so easy to input my thoughts throughout the day.

My new Sample Stash totals are-

Perfume - 51

Mascara - 16 + 2 primers( I keep forgetting about those primers!)

Exfoliators - 19

Masks - 14

Cleansers - 12

Eye Cream - 8

Serums/Oils - 33

Moisturizers - 36

Primers - 24

Foundations - 36

Lips - 13

Hair - 12

Extras - 14

If you want to go back and see what my last update was in August, I didn't give updated totals than though, you can read ithere. You would think it would have gone down, and some have, but most have gone up! I am a sucker for samples and can not not add them to my order! I will keep on trying them out and hopefully find some more products that I like, and also remove some things from my list of wanting to try!

Here we go with Octobers Trip Through My Trash! And somewhat on time as well, shocking I know! I really am hoping that I have finally figured at least a few things out to be abit more organized. I was able to get through quite a few products throughout the month, although many are forever on repeat around here!

On to the Trash! For Face and Body I used up -

Bath and Face care empties for October 2016.

Bath & BodyWorks Snow-Kissed Citrus Foaming Hand Wash - Our favorite hand soap that is at every sink in our house! We go through at least one of these a month! We really liked the Snow-Kissed CItruis scent. This scent has a fresh citrus scent mixed with a touch of sweetness, not enough sweet to be overpowering, just enough! Repurchase? Yes, of course when they are on sale :)

7th Heaven-Dead Sea Mud Pac face mask - This face mask is really blue when you put it on! I looked like a smurf! It felt nice and cooling and did dry down in about 15-20 min. It was a tad hard to get off, but I find that with most mud masks, something about trying to get dried up mud of your face! It left my face feeling soft and clean, and not to dried out. I was able to get 2 full face masks out of the package. Repurchase? Maybe, there are so many to masks to try out!

Fluffs-Cotton Pads - $1.25 at Dollarama, Yes please! I use these cotton pads to remove nail polish, apply toner, anything you would use a cotton round for! I find them to be great, they don't leave fluff anywhere and the price is great. Repurchase? Always.

Kirkland-Daily Facial Towelettes - A Costco forever repeat empty! These are in every empty and will probably be forever in any Trip Through My Trash! Great price, great product, what more could I want?! Repurchase? Always

Clarisonic-Radiance brush head - I love the radiance brush head for my Clarisonic. The radiance head is the right amount of softness, yet it still has enough to it to give my face a good clean! I have been using my Clarisonic for 2 years now, every night! It is still going strong. I have tried the delicate and sensitive heads but have found that I like the Radiance head best. Repurchase? Yes!

Schick-Intuition razor head refill - And yet another Costco purchase! One of these refills last me about 3 weeks, not to bad! I pick up a pack of these that includes 12 refills and a razor for under $30, it really is a no brainer. Especially when you are in the shower at 430 am! Messing with to many products at that time in the morning is not a good idea! Repurchase? Always!

Elizabeth Arden-Hydra-Splash Alcohol-Free TOner - Imagine, another Costco deal! I ran out of Thayers witch Hazel and when I went to pick up a new bottle they did not have any of the scents I usually get, than I was in Costco and noticed this toner in a 2 pack for the same price as Thayers, I decided to give it a try. It is an ok toner I guess. It does seem to remove any last bits of makeup that may have been sticking around and it feels refreshing. But I am missing Thayers! Repurchase? Doubt it, it isn't my favorite.

Neat & Easy-Nose Strips x4 - Another Dollarama gem! I have started using these once a week and finally I am starting to get less gunk when I take them off. These are in every empties as well! Repurchase? For sure!

Bioderma-Sébium H2O - When I first started using this I couldn't figure out why everyone loved it! It did not seem to be doing much of anything for me, including not taking off makeup! Than I started using it on a cotton round and the light bulb went off! This stuff is great! All the hype around Micelle water is real. It really does seem to break up the makeup and can get rid of all traces of it. I used this as my first step in cleaning my face, than I would wipe my face with a face wipe and there is barely anything on the wipe! I have to admit though, I used this mostly when I was feeling to lazy/tired to do my regular face cleansing routine! And you know what? My face did not react at all, and my pillows weren't full of makeup either! Repurchase? Probably! I am trying out a different brand right now!

Home fragrance empties for October 2016.

Yankee Candle-

Windblown - A light, fresh scent that is one of my favorites!

Dreamy Summer Nights - Just a touch of sweetness, not overpowering at all.

Line-Dried COtton - I was surprised at this scent, I was expecting more of a floral scent. Just a hint of floral, another light scent.

Spiced Pumpkin - This smells like Fall to me. Perfect blend of spicey with a hint of sweet!

Bath & BodyWorks Wallflower-Tiki Beach - This is the last Wallflower that I have at the moment. I picked up a few in the late summer but I find them to be really strong in a small room. I actually used these in the Basement and could smell it throughout the whole level, I live in a backsplit. If you have a larger room than a bedroom these would be great! I will probably pick up a few more when they are on sale as I did like them where I had them placed.

A few Makeup empties!

OMG! Makeup empties!

Smashbox Primer Water - I got this I am sure in a Sephora Favorites set! I wasn't very impressed with this at all. I didn't find that it made my makeup last any longer than when I didn't use it. It does feel good when you spray it on though. I much prefer the Tarte 4-in-1 mist! Repurchase? No

Tarte-Butter Lipstick-Mimosa - I finished up a lip product! It was a mini, but still! I kept this in my purse and loved how easy it was to use, no mirror needed. The butter lipstick don't have a lot of pigment but where they really excel is in moisture! This was like putting on a lip balm with a bit of color and shine. Loved this! Repurchase? I have 3 more form set I picked up last summer, but I would definitely get more.

Covergirl-Katy Perry- Katy Kat Eye - I received this mascara from Buzzagent in the summer. I received the shade Perry Blue. I had wanted to tryout a blue mascara so was more than happy to get one for free! I was more than a little worried when I saw the color though! But on my lashes you didn't really notice that it was blue unless I was outside. I wasn't the biggest fan of the twisted wand, it made it a little harder to coat the lashes. But once it was on I really liked how it made my lashes look. It also did not smudge or flake! To me that is the one thing I require in a mascara, I do not want to look like a racoon! Repurchase? I have 10+ mascaras waiting to be used right now, but I would recommend this one!

So there you have it, My October Trip Through My Trash! And it is still the beginning of October! I managed to get through quite a few products and even a few new ones! All in all a satisifying amount of Trash! Next up Sample Stash Trash!

I have been fairly absent around here for over a month, and I am sorry for that! Life just got in the way for a bit. And unfortuantly I am not the most organized, YET!!, person around. For the first 2 years that I was blogging I had a great schedule at work, I worked 7 out of 14 days so I was always able to write and take pictures as I went along. This year however my work schedule changed and I now work Monday to Friday which is quite a change for me. I have been trying to figure out a new blogging scedule for myself that will work with the new work schedule. I have been learning that I need to get more organized both with blogging and life in general.

But enough with the excuses, lets get on to what you came here to read about, a Trip Through My Trash for September!

September Trash!

Matrix-total results Miracle Extender - An empty from the stash of beauty products I tested out for the Elle Canada Grand Prix! I still really liked this dry shampoo! If you want to see my thoughts on this one and the other Dry Shampoos I tested, you can read them here. Repurchase? Probably, once I finish up some of the others in my stash!

TheFaceShop-MasCream sheet mask - I am starting to use up some of what I have backlogged! Pulling products out to use is finally stating to work. I was not a huge fan of this mask, it was almost dripping in cream when I took it out of the package, it made it kind of slimy and gross! I have to admit that it did do a great job of making my face feel moisturized though! Repurchase? No, I wasn't a huge fan on how it felt while I was using it!

B&BW Mediterrean Blue Waters Ultra Shea Body Cream - I love this scent! IT's so fresh smelling, I actually picked up quite a few tubes when it was on sale. Love the B&BW Ultra Shea body lotion. Repurchase? I already have, in this scent as well as others.

Moroccanoil-Body Buff Rose Petal Exfoliant - Another product from the Elle Canada blind testing. I love how this body exfoliator makes my skin feel, the scent, not so much. This smells very strong, to put it mildly. If rose scents are your thing this is a great body exfoliant. Again, if you would like to read my thoughts on this plus the other Body Scrubs I had the chance to test you can find them here. Repurchase? Maybe in another scent!

Philosophy-Purity - I use this face wash everyday and it works great for me. As you can see from the sticker I picked this up a few years ago when Sephora regularly puts this size on sale for Black Friday! I pick this up every year now! I not only use it to wash my face but I also use it to clean my makeup brushes. It seems to quickly and easily break up the makeup that is on my brushes. Repurchase? Of course, it does a great job on both my face and my brushes.

skyn Iceland-Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels - I honestly can't remember where/when I got these! They feel great going on, nice and cool. But the pads tend to feel a little weird under my eyes. I had to actually just sit and close my eyes and relax for the 10 minutes that it is recommended to use these! It was fairly uncomfortable having my eyes open with these on. But on the plus side, I was forced to relax for 10 min! Repurchase? No, they aren't the most comfortable to use.

Neat & Easy-Deep Cleansing Nose Strips - These will probably be in my empties forever! I get a package of 8 for $3 at Dollarama! I am trying to get better at taking care of my skin lately and using these every week is seeming to work for me! They work just as well as the Biore ones but at a fraction of the price. Repurchase? Always, great price and they work!

Schick-Intuition razor refill - Always in my empties! Love the convenience of these razors with the shave cream already there. Great for 430 am showers! Repurchase? Always, especially from Costco!

B&BW-Fresh Sparkling Snow Foaming Hand Wash - Another product that will forever be in my empties! I ran out of Hand Wash and had to pull out a winter scent a little early! I really like the B&BW hand soap and pick them up in bulk when there is a good sale, usually I can get them for around $3-4 CAD. I prefer the B&BW Winter and Summer scents the most, not such a big fan of fake apple scent or overly floral so that pretty much takes out the Fall and Winter scents! Repurchase? Always, on sale!

B&BW Pocket Bac-Copacabana Coconut - I always have one of these in my purse, you never know when you may need it! With Flu season coming up I will probably go through a few more of these than normal, even though I am pretty sure I may have already had it! Repurchase? I actually have to go get some more.

Home fragrance Trash.

Yankee Candle-Sunset Breeze - I love the scent of Sunset Breeze, the tall tumbler candle, not so much! I much prefer the size of votives to tumbler/jar candle. Votives seem to burn so much cleaner, not to mention I get bored of the scent when it is this big. I know I could just put the jar away, but I have an issue with leavng things half used before using others! I ended up burning this candle a few hours most nights over the month and it took pretty mush the whole month to burn through it! If you are looking at it as a cost per burn, I am sure the big ones are far better value! I only pick up the big candles wehn there is some sort of a special on them. Repurchase? Yes to the scent, not so sure about the candle size though!

Yankee Candle-Autumn In The Park - I am not usually a fan of fake Apple scents, but this one is good! It isn't to strong in this candle though, just enough so you get a wiff of it. I really liked this scent and would not say no to more. Repurchase? I hope they still have this scent around for the next sale, if they do I will pick up a few more votives.

I was actually surprised at the amount of product I was able to get through in September, not to bad if I do say so myself! I was originally going to combine September and October posts but there was actually more than I had thought, so you can expect to see Octobers up fairly shortly.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck around through this so far crazy year, with erratic posting and all! If anyone has any ideas on ways to get more organized, I would love to hear them!

I managed to use up some of the overflowing Sample Stash! Putting them out where they are visible is working! Since I have started picking out some samples to use for each week, I have started to finally try out some of the products I was interested in using! WOOT!!! I may have finally stumbled on a system to get me to use them.

I have found a few things that I really liked and a few that I really did not! If you are interested in reading about my thoughts on some samples that I used up in August, read on!

It may not look like a lot, but for me it is!

Benefit-Puff Off - There really wasn't much in this sample. The eye cream claims to smooth the look of puffies & fine lines. I didn't notice a lot of either of these claims, but that could be due to the fact that the full size has a metal applicator which I am sure would help to combat the puffies! The eye cream does have a slight salmon color to it. It felt good and I would say no to trying it out again!

Tarte-Rainforest of the Sea foundation - I was interested in trying this out so I went into Sephora and picked up a sample, glad I did. I wasn't a big fan of this one. It settled into pores, giving me the lovely cartoon face, aka polka dot face. I also found it settle in fine lines and especially around my nose! It was almost like any line/pore was a magnet for this foundation. I looked in the mirror a few hours after applying it and I had none on nose/cheeks/forehead, except where I had any lines/pores, there I had a lot...Not a great look!

Urban Decay-Naked Skin foundation - While I was getting a sample of the Tarte I also thought I would like to try out the UD one again. WOW, I forgot how good this one was! I would say it has light to medium coverage, just enough to cover up what needs covering up but not enough to look mask like. It lasted all day and did not give cartoon face! I did find that I got the best finish when I used the UD Good Karma Brush with it. The brush and the foundation are perfect together! Definitely picking this up soon!

Origins Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturizer - This moisturizer is perfect for daytime use in the summer! The fresh, kind of citrus scent, feels great in the morning. Makeup goes on well over top and it doesn't leave a greasy feeling on the skin.

Clinique-Superprimer Universal Face Primer - I had tried this primer out before but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what I thought of it! The primer goes on like a lotion and feels great going on, it made my skin feel soft and moisturized, so I had high hopes. It did not make my makeup last longer at all, if anything it seemed to help it to last a shorter amount of time than if I didn't use a primer! My oily zones seemed to come right through with a few hours and once that happened i just started looking like a mess! Will definitely not be looking into picking this one up.

Garnier Clean + Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser - I recently finished a full size of this, so this one is a little cheat! I knew I liked this one already.

Estée Edit-Pore Vanishing Stick - I was really hoping that this would shrink the appearance of my pores, even just a bit! Sadly it did not, and to make matters worse, My makeup barely lasted 2 hours overtop of it! It seemed to do a great job of melting anything I put on over top of this primer. I do have a sample of this in stick form as well that I may try in the cooler months to see if maybe it will work better than?

Urban Decay-Eden Eyeshadow Primer Potion - I have a few samples of the various Urban Decay Primer potions. I thought I would try out Eden first. It is very yellow based on my skin tone. It also seemed really dry? It made my eyelids look dry, which I didn't think was possible! I usually need to use a primer and Mac Painterly paint pot to make most shadows last throughout the day.

Smashbox-Photofinish Hydrating Under Eye Primer - This deluxe sample lasted dme forever! You don't need a lot to prime your under eye area. I didn't find it had any color correcting at all it just made concealer apply really well over top of it. I had barely any creasing and my concealer lasted all day with this on underneath. Definitely thinking on picking this up soon, I am already missing it!

Kate Somerville-Exfolikate - I definitely see why this is called 'Hollywoods 2 minute facial'! I noticed a difference right away after using this, my skin felt and looked smoother and softer. It has a slight spicey smell, but it isn't that strong. I really liked this sample a lot. I went into Sephora to see how much it was and it is a tad pricey at $102 for 60mL! BUt there is a smaller size for $29 for 15mL. I think I am going to pick this up at the VIB sale in November.

Mac-Prep + Prime Skin Base - I have had a few samples of this and each time I get another one and try it I wonder why I haven't picked up a full size of it yet. I find that it makes my foundation apply beautifully over top of it and it seems to help with longevity as well. I think I may finally pick up a full size if they have it at IMATs this year.

Marcelle-Ideal Skin Perfector - This one surprised me as well. I really wasn't expecting much from it but for the few uses I got out of the sample I really liked it! It also seemed to make my makeup go on well and helped it to last longer in the heat this past month! I may pick this up during a bonus redemption at Shoppers, if they ever have another one!

the Estée edit- Dissolve The Drama Makeup Remover - I really gave this a good try, 4 samples worth! I did not like it all though. I found that you needed to use quite a bit otherwise it felt like I was tugging at my skin. The problem with using more was that it was a little harder to get rid of the oily feeling after. I think I just don't like oil cleanser though, I am trying out a micellar water and am not really enjoying it either. I won't be seeking this out anytime in the near future.

Bobbi Brown-Smokey Eye Mascara - I was so excited to try something out from Bobbi Brown! It has a natural bristle brush which I usually love, so I had high hopes for this. It did make my lashes look great with only one coat, until about 2 hours later I looked in a mirror and I looked like I had 2 black eyes! It had smudged so much onto my undereye area that it looked like I had been boxing or something! So I won't be picking this one up either.

I am glad that I am starting to use up my samples, I am really starting to find things that I like and don't like. Samples are a great way to try before you buy. They aren't usually big enough to see any real difference with skin care, but there will be enough for you to tell if you can handle any scent it may have. A different texture of product, ie oil cleanser, or if it reacts to your skin.

What about you, have you been trying out any samples lately that have you adding to a list of products you want to look into picking up? In this Stah Trash I found 5 products that I am interested in picking up full sizes of. I also found 5 that I have no interest in buying and am glad that I didn't spend any money on! As well as a few that i am a little interested in picking up. 17 samples down, a lot more to try out!

Wow, where have I been?! I have barely written anything in the past few months and I can't honestly say why. It hasn't been for lack of ideas or products, I have still been shopping, trying new products and of course taking pictures! I just haven't been able to sit down at my computer to write. I seem to not have much time for anything lately. But I am hoping to change that. I have been reading a lot of blog posts on how to stay organized and hope that some of it has stuck! Here's hoping anyway.

I know it is pretty late to be posting my empties for the month of August but I thought better late than never, right?! I managed to get through quite a few things over the last month and here are a few thoughts on them.

Quite a few full size products ended up in my trash this past month!

Marcelle-Gentle Makeup Remover For sensitive Eyes - I had a sample size of this that I had used up awhile ago and really liked it. My sister had picked up this full size and kept trying it out and she really did not like it at all, so she gave it to me! I find that this eye makeup remover works great and removes all my eye makeup easily without stinging my eyes. I will say that I am not a fan of the way it comes out of the bottle in the full size, it has a squirter type hole in the top? I just wasn't a fan of that so I actually put this into the sample bottle I had and used it from there, the top was completely open on the sample size. My sister gave this to me with a little more than half full. Repurchase? Definitely on my list!

Cotton Pads - Another product that is usually in every empties post. Great for the price and work well enough for me. Repurchase? Always

7th Heaven-Cucumber Peel-Off Mask - I was able to get 2 masks out of this package, and it actually peeled! Have you ever tried peel-off masks and they didn't peel off that easily? I have and I am happy to say that this is one that does. I did notice that once I peeled the mask off that my face did feel really clean, almost to clean in some places! I definitely needed to use a good moisturizer after this mask to put some moisture back. Repurchase? Not completely sure yet!

Bath & BodyWorks-Mediterranean Blue Waters Body Cream - The BBW body cream is my preferred body cream, they have so many great scents and they provide enough moisture for me no matter what the season. The Mediterranean Blue Waters scent is a nice fresh scent that just makes me a little more awake in the am! Repurchase? Always

Farmacy-Brightening Face Mask - I got these in my first Boxycharm and am finally getting around to trying it out. They are actually a different type of sheet mask, not your typical thin one. They are actually a fairly thick almost rubbery material. It was a weird sensation putting this one! I did like how my skin felt and looked afterward. My skin felt soft and did have a bit of a glow to it! Repurchase? Maybe

Thayers Original WItch Hazel - I tried out the Original formula to see if there was much of a deference from the Rose one I have had before. Happy to say no difference in how it worked but I do prefer the Rose one more. Repurchase? Yes, some form of this brand anyway!

Neat & Easy Deep Cleansing Nose Strips - What more can I say about these? They work just as good as Biore, but at a fraction of the price. Repurchase? Always

Schick Intuition Replacement Razor - Another favorite product! I think one of these must have gotten thrown out, I went through more than one last month. Repurchase? Always

Garnier-Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream - I used up a face cream! It took me forever to use this up. NOt because I didn't like it, but because I only used it a few times a week. It is a little heavy of a face cream for me to use every night, especially in the warmer months. The cream is fairly thick and a little goes along way. IT does take a bit of time to sink in to my skin as well. I did however wake up to moisturized skin and it didn't give me an adverse effects! Repurchase? Maybe in the cooler months.

I managed to finish up 3 makeup empties! Yay me.

3 lonely make up empties!

Tarte-Rainforest of the Sea Marine Boosting Mist - I really liked this spray alot! I used it before my makeup almost like a primer and it seemed to help my makeup go on smoother and last longer! Not to bad for a spray! This does have a scent to it, kind of a citrus scent. Very refreshing during the hot months we have had lately! I also sprayed this during the day when I would have a hot moment and it did not mess up my makeup at all, and sometimes, I sprayed it more than once. Repurchase? I have been keeping an eye on the sephora site but it hasn't came back in stock. I do have another deluxe sample size to use though so hopefully it comes back in.

Mac- Eye Brow Pencil in Fling - I have had this pencil for a while and recently found it again when I was starting to organize my new makeup space. I forgot how much I really liked this. Fling is the perfect ashy color if you have light brown to blonde hair. Not to warm, but also not to cool. One of the only bad things about it is that once you click it up, that's it, it is not retractable. I have found that 2-3 clicks is just about right for me to fill in the spots that need filling. The only other negative that you may be able to find with Fling, is that there is no spoolie on the end, not really a big negative for me as I seem to have a few hanging around. Repurchase? I already did.

Sephora Retractable Brow Pencil in Neutral Gray Brown - This is another great pencil, that again is just the right shade for me. The Sephora brand pencil is retractable so you don't need to worry about bring up to much product and wasting it. It also has a 'spoolie' on the end. I only used it once, it's a hard plastic comb type of one that I didn't find did much for me. Repurchase? Maybe.

A few home scents-

A few candle wrappers are missing...

Bath & Body Works-Wallflowers in Endless Weekend - My sister loves these plug in scent things and said I had to try them out! One thing I can say, they are strong! I am not sure if it was the scents I picked up or what. All I can say is, WOW. I first put it in my office, way to strong in the small room. Next tried it in my kitchen, again to much. So now I have it in the bottom level of my 4 level backsplit and I can still smell it on the next level and faintly on the main. If you not a fan of burning candles and like to put a scent in and forget about it for over a month these would be great! I like changing up scents a lot and get bored pretty quickly. Repurchase? I think I will continue to pick them up, my basement has never smelt better!

Yankee Candle-Turquoise Sky - When I smelled this in the store I thought it was a great scent. once I started burning it though, I found it was just not for me. It gave me a headache both times I tried burning it so I gave my votive holder to my sister and got her to finish burning it. I also gave her the other votives I had of this scent. She said she liked it, so at least they won't go to waste. Repurchase? No

Yankee Candle-Honey Clementine - This candle is a great blend of citrus with a slight hint of sweet. I love it! I am not usually a fan of fake orange scent but Yankee Candle got it right with this one. Repurchase? Already picked up a small tumbler! (They were having another sale...)

I managed to get through quite a few full size products this past month, which I am very happy with. I am slowly working away at finishing up what I already have open so that I can get to using up a few other things that are sitting waiting. I am not a fan of having a lot of different skincare products open at one time and try to finish things up first before moving on to the next thing.

Did you finish up anything good last month? Anything new that you are really impressed with? Or had to find a different use for?

I haven't written a nail post in what seems forever! I have started to dip my toes into the no UV light needed nail polish systems that promise upto 14 days of wear and shine! That is a fairly lofty claim. I was wondering if the Miracle Gel system would last as long as my usual base, Sephora Formula X, and top, Seche Vite, coats would.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel system in B Girl.

I tried out the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel system in B Girl, which is a beautiful mint blue shade. It took me 3 coats to get a nice finish. The first 2 coats were streaky. I found that this polish took forever to dry in between coats, a good 15 minutes each. The top coat took that long as well, so this manicure took me over an hour to do, not fun! But the color is beautiful!

Here is Day 1 of wearing the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in B Girl, love the color!

Once all the coats were finally dry my nails looked great, Shiney and even. Even though it took forever and a day to do my nails, I was thinking it might be worth it, if it lasted 14 days!

Sadly, it did not last he toted 14 days for me.

Here are my nails after 9 days of wear.

I still had quite a bit of shine but my thumb and index finger had a few chips. I think that maybe if this had been a nude color I wouldn't have noticed the chips quite so much. But with such a bright shade you could notice the chips quite a bit.

Removal was just as claimed as though! It did not take much more work to remove the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel than a regular polish. Just a few more cotton pads, and I think that was partially due to the fact that I had 3 coats of polish on!

I was able to get a solid 7 days of chip free and shine wear from the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel system. Which is still pretty good, but I can get that from my regular base and top coat with any polish used with them. For me the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel system did not live up to its claims of 14 days of chip-free shine.

Have you tried the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel system? Were you able to get 14 days of wear? Or 7 like me?

It keeps happening! I have yet again, added more to the ever increasing Sample Stash! I think I may need to rethink my idea of trying to get through these Samples! I keep forgetting that I have so many samples that I picked out because I was interesting in trying the products, than I promptly forget I have them. I have recently been just throwing all my new samples into a bowl and now the bowl is full.... I have been trying to remember to use them I swear! Not the new ones but the old ones... It just wasn't working out quite as I had planned. So I came up with an idea! Shocking, I know. My brilliant idea is that I am going to continue to have everything sorted out but with a new addition! I am going to pick out a few makeup/primer/etc samples from each category and have them sitting out on my desk so that I will remember to use them. And for skincare samples I will bring out a few of each category - moisturizer/cleanser/makeup remover/etc and put those in a container on my bathroom counter so that they are right in front of my face. That way I can't forget about them! I am planning on pulling new samples every Sunday for all categories. Instead of including my Sample Stash empties in with my Monthly trash post, I will do a separate empties/update post each month on how my status is coming along. That way I will be able to give you my thoughts on if anything wowed me enough that I want to pick up a full size.

Here is how many samples I have added in -

I don't know how this keeps happening!

Added in to the Sample Stash are -

Perfume-9, Mascara-2, Exfoliator-6, Masks-4, Cleansers-6, Eye Cream-2, Serums-7, Moisturizers-15, Primer-6, Foundation-10, Lips-5, Hair-3 and Extras-4. I have added in 76 more Samples! This is going to take some time to get through! I did receive quite a few during a VIB Rouge Event, as well as having placed a few orders during a bonus sample event...I think I may have a problem! I have even given some away, and yet they keep piling up. Hopefully my new system helps me to get through a fair amount of them, I picked out quite a few of these samples because they were products I was interested in trying out.

I managed to get through a few samples last month -

A few Sample Stash empties.

Clinique Take THe Day Off - I used up 2 of these and while they worked great, it isn't for me. The consistency of CLiniques Take The Day Off is very thick, think hardened coconut oil! It does melt quickly into your skin though. I just can't see myself trying to dig out product that thick from a tub.

Ole Henrikson Lemon Strip Flash Peel - From the pot it doesn't have to much of a scent, so that is good. I don't remember it doing anything that amazing for my face either. If I get another sample I would try it again to see if I like it?

Boscia Thermal Black Cleanser - This is an ok cleanser, it does heat up when you rub it on your face which is kind of different! Nothing spectactular though.

VIB ROuge A Fresh Pair Sample Duo - This was a 2 part sample I got during a Rouge event at Sephora. First you used the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish, which is a really nice lip scrub. The scrub has a nice amount of grit that it felt like it was doing a good job of exfoliating my lips and it tasted good to! The second step was to use the Fresh Sugar Lip Serum, this was a gel like consistancy lip serum. I liked it at first but it broke me out after the second day. I even tried using it again a week later once I had healed up and the same thing happened again. So I won't be buying the serum, but maybe the scrub!

Benefit they're real remover - I was able to get 2 uses out of the sample. I didn't find that it removed makeup any better than using water would have. For me this one was a complete dud and I won't be picking it up.

Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Gel Cleanser - I have gone through a travel size of this cleanser before. It's ok but nothing spectacular for me. I like my Purity cleanser better and can get the purity for a far better price.

Curl Keeper Ultimate Hold with Frizz Control - I really like this gel! It doesn't leave my hair crunchy but really does help to define my wave and keep the frizz under control. Stashy from Stash Matters has let me know that Trade Secrets carries this product so I think after I finish up some other products I will be going to see if they carry it in London.

Angel Eau De Toilette - I really liked the spicey scent of Angel. It is a little to strong to wear at work but I am tempted to pick it up anyway!

Gucci Premiere - To me this one had a slight powder scent that wasn't my favorite. The scent did last quite awhile though.

Fresh Life - A perfect scent that I could wear easily at work. Not to strong but it did last. Another one to the maybe pile.

Guerlain Maxi Lash - I had high hopes for this mascara. The brush is very similar to Benefits they're real, which I really like. Sadly that is where the similarities ended. This mascara had smudged under my eyes within an hour of putting it on! Not a good look! I tried using it with all sorts of eye primers and nothing could stop it from smudging, I even tried it out one day without any other makeup on, same results.

Glamglow Gravitymud Firming treatment - I was really excited to tryout this mask, Tinman here I come! This mask is a silver color and is supposed to tighten and firm. I didn't notice either of those claims after trying it. I found that I need to put on a fairly thick layer otherwise it did not peel off like it was supposed to and was actually quite hard to remove. Because of needing to use so much of this at a time it isn't one I would spend my money on very easily.

Lancôme Hypnôse Drama - This mascara has a natural bristle brush which I also like. It has a wierdly shaped brush though, kind of an S shape. The shape took some getting used to but I loved what it did for my lashes! It gave volume and length and did not smudge at all! I wouldn't say no to getting more of this one!

I managed to get through 15 samples last month which is better than I have been doing but not quite good enough to get through the growing stash I have. I am hoping that pulling a few samples from the Stash each week will help me to remember to try more things out.

Do you have any hints/ideas on ways to remember to try out the samples you get? Am I the only one hoarding samples?!

I am a little late posting my trash for the month of July, but better late than never! I am not going to be putting my samples in with my trash anymore, I will do a seperate post for those, hopefully there will start to be a lot more soon! I did manage to finish up quite a few products for the month, so I am happy about that. A few regular products, and a few new ones!

My Trash for the month of July -

July's Trip Through My Trash.

Cotton Pads - I pick these ones up at Dollarama for I think $1.25? Somewhere around there. I really like these, they are great for removing eye make and nail polish! Repurchase? Always.

Kirkland Daily Facial Towelettes - Another repeat empty, these are in every Trash post I do! They work great and I can't find a better price for Face Wipes. Repurchase? Always.

feettreat PEDI by Look Beauty - I picked this foot peeling mask up at Shopper's Drug Mart to try out. It was $9.99, I think, and was cheaper than any others I had seen. You have to sit for 60-90 min with the booties on, which is longer than any others I had tried. My feet didn't start to peel for almost 9 days! They never really peeled a lot either. I went to get a pedicure about 3 weeks after having used it and the esthetician told me not to use these foot peeling masks anymore! I guess they aren't the best for your feet. Maybe that's why they say not to use them more than once every 3 months.... Needless to say it wasn't the best mask I have tried from them! Repurchase? No.

Pantene Pro-V Cleansing COnditioner - This is my second bottle of this Cleansing Conditioner, so I guess you could say I like it. I like to use the cleansing conditioner more so in the summer as I find I can't go quite as long without washing my hair as I can in the winter months. Dry shampoo can only do so much when its 30+ degrees outside! I usually wash my hair normally, than second day is dry shampoo, than third day is the Cleansing Conditioner. It seems to work well for my hair. I forgot how hard it was to find this though! I went into Shopper's planning on picking up a bottle but I couldn't find any and when I asked an associate she had never heard of cleaning conditioner. I did end up picking up a bottle at Walmart, they actually had 2 different kinds! I picked up the one from L'Oreal to try out this time. Repurchase? Probably.

Dr. Jart+ Water-Full Hydrogel Mask - I got this face mask in a Birchbox and finally got around to trying it out. It was a rather strange sheet mask! Not your usual tissue type of mask, this one seemed more like foam! It was fairly thick and stuck to my face fairly well, I didn't have to worry about it sliding off. I did notice that after I used this mask my face felt hydrated and very smooth, the effects seemed to last for a couple of days to. It was a really nice mask, if the price wasn't so high, $25 a mask on Sephora!, I would be tempted to purchase them. Repurchase? Not at that price.

Bath & BodyWorks Mediterranean Blue Waters Body Cream - I usually have a tube of Bath & BodyWorks body cream in every trash post! The scents do tend to vary but this is my cream of choice. The scent on Mediterranean Blue Waters is a nice light fresh scent! I really liked this scent quite a bit, enough that I picked up 3 more tubes of it when they were having the semi annual sale! Repurchase? Already did!

Neat & Easy Deep Cleansing Nose Strips x3 - I almost remembered to use these once a week last month! I did notice a difference in how my makeup applied on my nose when I used the nose strips more regularly so I am hoping that I can continue to remember to use them! I pick these ones up at Dollarama and find that they work just as well as the Biore Nose Strips, but are a fraction of the price. Repurchase? Yes.

Bath & BodyWorks PocketBac, Candy Cane Bliss and Honolulu Sun - Can you tell by the first scent that I have recently found the stash of these that I had picked up a few months ago?! I have one of these hanging off of my purse and one on my lunch bag and use them all the time. The hand sanitizer at work is a little drying on my hands so I try to use the Bath & BodyWorks hand sanitizers as mush as I think I can get away with. Scent is the one thing I have to be careful of as we have a no scent policy and some scents bother people. I do check with my coworkers who I know are sensitive to scents before I use anything with a scent. Neither of these two scents bothered most of them. Repurchase? Yes, once I run out of my stash!

No4 Super Comb Prep & Protect - Another Birchbox empty! I am trying to get through some of my backlog of products! This was an ok leave in conditioner, not the best, and not the worst! I am out of leave in conditioner so I am looking for one to pick up, any suggestions? Repurchase? No, I doubt I can find it anywhere!

W3LL People Expressionist Mascara - I was on a roll for using up Birchbox products last month! I pulled this mascara out to try out and it did not work out for me at all! I barely got any volume from it. It was a very dry mascara so I had high hopes for it, I am thinking the dry formula may have been that it was old though. It has a plastic bristle brush that was actually kind of sharp and not the best feeling on my eyes! It smudged on me halfway through my day! Not a good look! Repurchase? No

Clarisonic Delicate Brush Head - This was my favorite brush head for my Clarisonic, until I tried the Radiance one! I picked up a duo pack of these when I needed new replacement brush as Sephora was out of the Radiance heads and I did like them before. But they are no substitute for the Radiance ones. I found this brush head to be somewhat scratchy and not as gentle as the Radiance ones. I also didn't find that they seemed to get my face as clean as the Radiance. Repurchase? Not anymore.

Secret Clinical Invisible Solid Antiperspirant - I received this as a product to test out for the Elle Canada Grand Prix and found out that I really liked it! It kept me dry and smelling great for the whole day! I wish that women's antiperspirant had more in it though! I have noticed that I am going through more of women's than I was when I was using mens antiperspirant, mens have almost double the amount in them! Repurchase? Maybe.

Schick Intuition Razor refill - Another regular empty in my Trash! I love using the Intuition because I don't have to mess around with a razor and shaving cream in the shower! I find that I get a close shave and I also pick these up at Costco! I think its 10 refills and the razor for just under $30? Thats enough for 8 months at a time! Repurchase? Always.

I am happy that I am starting to get through some of the products that I got in my Birchboxes finally! 3 products last month! Quite a few products that are regularly in my Trash, but that just shows that I really like those ones. I am pretty sure we used up a hand soap last month but I think it must have gotten thrown out.

Did you manage to get through any products over the last month? Anything new and exciting? I think my most exciting was using up some Birchbox stuff!

I managed to receive my July Boxycharm before the end of the month! Boxycharm gave us plenty of notice that they would be holding off sending out, as well as charging us, the July box due to the uncertainty with Canada Post. Luckily for us Canada Post did not stop delivering the mail! Once my box was shipped it out it took about a week for it to get to me, not to bad. I actually got it on July 27. This is my second box from Boxycharm and I am impressed with what we received this month. This month's box was makeup heavy, for a beauty junkie that's a perfect box! I am not sure where they got the theme 'Modern Merbabe' though, to me with that theme I was kind of expecting waterproof or water themed colors. This box was neither of those.

July Boxycharm - Modern Merbabe.

OFRA Professional Magnetic Palette -

Ofra Professional Magnetic Palette.

OFRA Professional Magnetic Palette ($59.00)- This professional magnetic palette made exclusively for BOXYCHARM comes equipped with a mix of shimmer and matte eye shadows that normally retail for $10 for each pan. This versatile formula can be applied dry for a subtle shading or damp for a more intense color. It is also hypoallergenic and suitable for even the most sensitive eye areas.

We received the shades Bohemian (Shimmer), Buttercup (Matte), Smoke (Matte), Iron (Shimmer), Truffle (Matte), and Millennium Gold (Shimmer). These shades are a great mix of neutrals that I am sure I will be able to do a few different eye looks with. When I swatched them they all swatched really well with the exception of Smoke, but I have had shadows that don't swatch the best (Mac) but apply completely different on the eyes.

I swatched the shadows in the order they are in the palette -

Noyah Lip Gloss -

Noyah Lip Gloss ($16.00)- A natural lip gloss made without sulfates, parabens, or phthalates. Packaging is composed of earth-friendly bamboo.

We received the Noyah Lip Gloss in the shade Malbec, which to me is a very bright pink! I am not sure if I will use this gloss or not. I am not usually much of a fan of gloss, don't like the sticky! The shade is also a fairly bright one for me.

Mally Beauty Rounded Blender Brush -

Mally Beauty Rounded Blender Brush

Mally Beauty Rounded Blender Brush ($15.00)- Designed for blending out eye shadows. With a rounded brush head and luxuriously soft bristles, it is shaped to apply the perfect amount of color every time!

I LOVE getting brushes in beauty boxes! Especially eye shadow brushes. This was an item that you could have either gotten the Brush or an Eye Liner, can you tell I am happy to have gotten the brush?!

This is the item I am least interested in. My hair is not prone to split ends nor is it dry. I think I will probably pass this one on to my daughter, I am sure she will enjoy it!

So far I have been quite impressed with Boxycharm, it is by far not the cheapest subscription box out there, but for me the value is there. Boxycharm costs $21.00 USD a month plus $5.00 shipping to Canada, with the exchange rate I pay approximately $35.00 CAD.

What do you think of the July Boxycharm - Modern Merbabe? Do you see where they got the theme from?

I have recently rediscovered my love of burning candles! During the month of June, Yankee Candle did a semi annual clearance sale and like a good little lemming, I went and picked up quite a few. I used to like sweet scents but lately it has been more of a fresh/fruit scent I have been liking. Don't get me wrong, I still love Vanilla scents, but I think maybe more in the cooler months. Since the temperature has been in the 30°C for the past month my AC has been on a lot. I find that when the house is closed up so much the air starts to smell a little stale, so I resort to burning candles. I have tried the plug in scents from Bath & Body and I do like them but they are a bit strong. With candles I can somewhat control how much scent I am getting.

The jar candles -

Yankee Candle small and large 2 wick tumbler candles, and a car vent clip.

The small tumbler candles are supposed to burn for 35-45 hours and the large 2 wick tumbler around 75-110 hours, thats a long time! You really want to make sure you like the scent before picking up one of these ones! I managed to get the 3 small tumblers during a buy one get 2 free sale. So I managed to get all 3 for $15.99 CAD plus tax. The large 2 wick tumbler was free with a $20 spend, I think.

Catching Rays - Sharp orange and golden amber bring that great beach feeling of being warmed all the way through by a perfect summer sun. This smells so fresh and clean to me, not to strong but you can smell it throughout the room and slightly beyond.

Pink Sands - It's an exotic island escape in the beautiful mix of bright citrus, sweet florals and spicy vanilla. The perfect amount of fresh and sweet for summer!

Summer Storm - Like a storm front moving through a forest, this scent tingles with the subtle freshness of eucalyptus grounded with a hint of patchouli. Smells very fresh, and yes you can smell the patchouli! A little bit stronger of a scent but nice if the house has been closed up.

Sunset Breeze - Take an evening stroll on a beach, with scents of tropical fruits moving on the breeze, back and forth just like the surf. This one is a bit more fruity smelling than the other ones, but not to sweet.

Catching Rays Vent Clip - Smells just like the candles! I picked this up as we just went back up to 2 cars, and I got the old one! It needed some freshening up in there! I find that the car smells sort of like fresh laundry when I get in it now!

The votives -

A rainbow of votives.

The votives are supposed to burn for up to 15 hours each. I can usually get 3 days burn time out of a votive, I usually only burn them when I get home from work or on the weekend. To me that's a great amount of time, it is enough to find out if you like the scent but not to much that you are sick of it by the time it is done. I tend to stick to this size the most for that reason alone. I get tired of smelling the same thing all the time! For me votives are just a great size, you can switch up the scents so much quicker and I don't usually get sick of the scent by the time the votive is done. Not to mention that votives are a great size to store as well! The regular price for a votive is $1.99 CAD but I picked all these up for .50 cents each!

Pink Sands x1- It's an exotic island escape in the beautiful mix of bright citrus, sweet florals and spicy vanilla. I only picked up 1 of the votives because I already had a tumbler.

Golden Sands x5- Your private beach awaits, where time pauses in soft breezes of soothing sandalwood, luminous orange flower and warm tonka beans. I really like this one, when I had picked up the tumblers they didn't have this scent so I picked up a few!

Sunset Breeze x2- Take an evening stroll on a beach, with scents of tropical fruits moving on the breeze, back and forth just like the surf. Again I had a big one of this!

Catching Rays x1- Sharp orange and golden amber bring that great beach feeling of being warmed all the way through by a perfect summer sun. I thought I had picked up more of this scent, I do like it though!

Dreamy Summer Night x1- A relaxing blend of vanilla bean, heliotrope and a hint of woodiness—it spreads the subtle magic of a warm night in soft bloom. This was the only one of this scent I could find, if I could of found more I probably would have picked up more.

Windblown x2- A pleasant concoction of earthy lemon zest, white lotus, and invigorating musk, this fragrance is sure to compliment any decor. Again, the only 2 of this scent that they had at the time, I already know I like it as I have burned a small tumbler of it.

Line-Dried Cotton x2- A clean laundered fragrance mixed with a note of dewiness and a light floral breeze—the fresh scent of cotton drying in the sunlight. This one seemed like a nice light scent, I haven't burned it yet though.

Vanilla Lime x3- Smooth and refreshing … the creamy richness of vanilla with sweet cane sugar and a zesty lime twist. Fresh and sweet! Great blend of fresh lime and vanilla, not to sweet.

Bahama Breeze x4- There's cool summer refreshment in this tropical blend of pineapple, grapefruit and mango. I loved this scent last year and had a large tumbler as well as some tea lights so of course I had to pick up a couple more!

Turquoise Sky x3- Calm, salty air with hints of sea grass and musk, floats gently on ocean waves…off on an adventure beneath a bright blue sky. This smelled fresh in the store, but I am wondering if my nose wasn't overpowered by the time I smelled it? It smells a little stronger now, I will let you know after I have burned it!

I do usually wait until there is a good sale at Yankee Candle before I go a little overboard like I had done this time. And I did spread it out over a few trips, I actually didn't realize I had picked up quite so many until I was getting them together to write this post...oops.

Do you like to burn candles in the summertime? Or mostly in the cooler months?

I was recently chosen by ChickAdvisor to try out the Vichy Neovadiol Anti-Aging routine. I had not previously tried out anything from Vichy before so I was really excited to try out some new skincare, especially one that was easily accessible to me! Vichy is a brand I have seen around Shoppers Drug Mart but never picked up to try before, it's always great to try out new things! I was sent Neovadiol Serum, Neovadiol Day Cream and Neovadiol Night Cream to try out. I received the products at the end of June and have been using them everyday since, so about 4 weeks now.

Vichy - Neovadiol Compensating Complex line.

From Vichy - Vichy Neovadiol introduces the 1st Compensating Complex with key dermatological ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid and a high dose of Pro-Xylane able to compensate the effects of menopause on the skin.

I was sent the Neovadiol Compensating Complex Day Cream, Neovadiol Night, and Neovadiol Compensating Complex Serum. Here are my thoughts on all three.

The Vichy Compensating Complex Serum is to be used both morning and night, before the moisturizer. I found that one pump gave me enough serum to cover my face and neck, a little goes a long way. When you pump out the serum the first thing I noticed was that it seemed to almost have a glow to it. It isn't a runny texture, but not thick either, just kind of a nice texture to work with (ie it isn't so runny that you lose half of it before it makes it to your face!). After I had used this I noticed that my skin was really glowy, which isn't a bad thing! It does have a scent though, I will warn you, it is a tad strong. It quickly absorbs into your skin and you are ready for moisturizer.

The first thing I noticed about the Vichy Neovadiol Compensating Day Cream was how thick it was. I have not used a thick day cream before! For me, usually a day cream has been more of a lotion texture. I was worried that it would be to thick for me for use under makeup, luckily I was proved wrong. Even though it is a thick cream, it easily melted into my skin and didn't leave a heavy feeling. It is in a pot though, ewe. I used a spatula to get the cream out and just dotted it around than massaged it in to my skin. One of the first things that hit me was the scent, if you are sensitive at all to scents smell this first. The scent does linger for a bit also. I found it to absorb into my skin within a few minutes and I was ready to continue on with the rest of my morning routine. It didn't affect my makeup at all, neither wear time nor application.

Vichy Neovadiol Night Advanced Replenishing Night Care Cream -

Cooling gelified texture enriched with hydrating Aquakeep to compensate the effects of menopause on the skin during the night.

I noticed right away when I put the Neovadiol Night Advanced Replenishing Night Care Cream on that my skin instantly felt cooler! This is a great thing when you are in the bathroom doing your night skin care and it all of a sudden starts getting a little too toasty in there! The texture of the night cream is also a very different texture to what I am used to seeing in a night cream. Usually night creams are a thicker consistency than a day cream, but with the Vichy Neovadiol line it is the opposite. The night cream is actually a lighter, more gel like texture. I can't get over how cooling it feels when you put it on. I wish the day cream had the same effect! Unfortunately it has the same scent as the rest of the products in the line that I tried out, only this one seems to linger longer. My husband actually asked me what the smell was when we went to bed, he could smell it to.

I was really happy to have gotten the chance to try out the Vichy line, thanks to ChickAdvisor! I really liked how the products made my skin feel, especially the night cream. (I need to find a product that has that same cooling effect!) Unfortunately, the scent is a deal breaker for me. I am not usually sensitive to scents, but the scent of these products just kind of sticks around to long for me. BUt I do think that if you aren't sensitive to fragrance, that this would be a great line to try out for a more 'mature' or skin needing extra moisture. It has a great amount of moisture, not to much, not to little, for a variety of skin types.

Do you have any recommendations for a moisturizer that feels cooling on the skin, without a lot of scent? Or more of a fresh scent? I am not a fan of floral scents that close to my nose!

*I received the product free of charge as part of the ChickAdvisor Product Review Club.

Time for the last category I tested for the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix. Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. Well, the testing is over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. If you want to read about the introduction you can click here, Part 1 - Body scrubs here, Part 2 - Deodorantshere, and Part 3 - Face Serumshere.I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

All the shiney Mystery products.

The last category for testing is Dry Shampoo -

6 Shiney mystery cans of Dry Shampoo.

As per the previous products I again tested each Dry Shampoo in numerical order. Even though I use a lot of Dry Shampoo, I only knew what one of them was! For testing purposes we were to use each product for a minimum duration of 3-5 days, over 10 days. Directions were the same for all - Shake well. Lift sections of hair and spray 15-20cm from scalp. Massage thoroughly with fingertips and style.

044 - Joico Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo -

Texture - When I sprayed this dry shampoo into my hair it felt really light, almost like I hadn't sprayed anything at all.

Absorption - Not the greatest, my hair stayed fairly flat the days I used it.

Condition of hair - My hair did feel soft when I used it.

Ease of use - Worked great at any angle, even upside down.

Scent - A nice fresh scent that wasn't overpowering nor did it last long.

Thoughts - The great thing about this dry shampoo was that it didn't leave any white cast on my hair at all. I actually wondered if maybe my can was defective! It was easy to brush/work through the hair. I did notice that my scalp started feeling itchy towards the end of the day on the days I used this. Price $30.25 CAD

054 - Redken Pillow Proof -

Texture - This dry shampoo was very light feeling on my hair.

Absorption - This one absorbed oil well but gave no volume at all.

Condition of hair - Didn't seem to give me any volume after working it through my hair.

Ease of use - Again worked great at all angles.

Scent - I loved that this had barely any scent at all.

Thoughts - There was barely any white cast at all after I sprayed this in my hair and what there was was very easy to brush out. Unfortunately , once again this dry shampoo made my scalp itchy by the end of the day. Price $24.00 CAD.

057 - Moroccan Oil -

Texture - Another light feeling dry shampoo.

Absorption - Absorbed the oils quickly.

Condition of hair - After I brushed this through my hair, my hair felt just washed!

Ease of use - Worked great at any angle.

Scent - Almost unscented, what scent there was was very light.

Thoughts - The Moroccan Oil dry shampoo did leave a white cast, but it was really easy to brush through. I loved how it made my hair feel and no itchy scalp! I even used this twice before washing my hair and it was still great! Price $26.00 CAD.

084 - Amika -

Texture - Very light feeling when sprayed into hair.

Absorption - Quickly absorbed oil and gave volume.

Condition of hair - My hair again felt clean and was shiney.

Ease of use - Worked great at any angle.

Scent - Has a great fresh scent that doesn't cling.

Thoughts - I was pretty sure on what this one was, I could see the colors at the top! When you spray this it does leave a white cast but is so easy to brush out. My hair looked freshly washed, shiney and with quite a bit of volume, when I used this even when I used it twice. I really liked this dry shampoo but it isn't easy to find in my area, nor online! Price $31.20 CAD.

188 - Herbal Essence - Naked -

Texture - It felt like I had just sprayed my hair with hairspray when I used this, sticky.

Absorption - It did an ok job of absorbing oil, once I could get a brush through it.

Condition of hair - My hair felt sticky when I used this, like 90s hairspray!

Ease of use - It did work great at an angle.

Scent - Had barely any scent, just a faint fruity scent.

Thoughts - This one also left barely any white cast, but I think its more like hairspray! Within a few hours of using this my scalp started getting really itchy, I washed my hair as soon as I got home from work! I may try this as a hairspray and see how it does for that, maybe if I don't spray it directly on my scalp it won't be itchy! Price $3.98 CAD.

236 - Matrix Total Results Miracle Extender -

Texture - Light feeling on hair.

Absorption - Worked great, I even tried it out on 4 day hair!

Condition of hair - Hair felt soft, but it didn't give a lot of volume.

Ease of use - Worked great at an angle.

Scent - Nice light fresh scent.

Thoughts - This Matrix had a great fresh scent that didn't last long at all, nor was it to strong when spraying. I did get the somewhat usual white cast but it was so easy to brush out. Price $17.42 CAD.

Once again after I submitted my log book, it showed me my favorite...even blind testing Amika was my top choice! Sadly I still haven't found any place to buy it! But luckily for me I found a few other dry shampoos that I liked as well that are available in stores for me. I also liked the Moroccanoil, Redken, and Matrix Dry Shampoos, all of which are easily accessible! Joico and Herbal Essence where big duds for me, but I had tried Herbal Essence before and didn't like it than either.

I am glad I was given the chance to try out so many dry shampoos, it's not the most glamorous product, but it is one I use frequently. I wasn't sure on any of the products, I had a good idea on one-but I thought I knew all the Deodorants to, so it was really blind testing!

It was a lot of fun participating in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand prix and I am happy I was given the chance. I found quite a few products that I really like and will continue to purchase, and a few that I know to stay away from. I can't wait to see what products were voted favorites from all the categories, and where my favorites came in! I think they announce the winners in the Fall, I will be watching out for it! Have you ever gotten the chance to blind test anything? Did your results surprise you? Did I pick any of your favorites? Or hate its? What do you think about blind testing, would you be interested in doing it? Let me know!

When I first learned that Boxycharm was finally available to Canadians, I couldn't sign up fast enough! I had seen and heard quite a few rave reviews on Boxycharm and had wanted to try them out for awhile. But until The end of May, Boxycharm didn't ship to Canada. Boxycharm retails for $21 USD with free shipping within the US. For shipping to Canada we are charged an extra $5 USD, with the exchange rate I pay approximately $35 CAD.

As far as shipping went though, I didn't receive my June Boxycharm until June 30, still in June, but just barely! I know that I will be getting my July box late as they were holding off sending the Canadian boxes until Canada Post was a little more stable, they didn't want them getting lost or sitting for however long waiting to find out what was happening with the possible strike/lock out. So I am thinking I won't get July's box until into August as I just received notification that I was charged for the July box on the 14.

The theme for June was 'Girls Just Wanna Have Sun' - Salt in the air, and sand in our hair.

In my June boxycharm I received -

June Boxycharm for Canadians.

Cougar Beauty-Mineral Face & Body Shimmer-Diamond Kiss (£24.00)-This mineral face & body shimmer is formulated using feather-like shimmering minerals, adding a radiant sparkle when lightly brushed anywhere on the body. Great for adding a little extra sparkle to any look . This is a pretty gold shade that I think might look better on the body rather than the face as the shimmer in it is a little noticeable.

Girlactik-Precise Eyeliner Marker ($20.00)- This precision marker eyeliner's soft and precise tip is designed to create the perfect dramatic line. The formula is weightless, long lasting, water resistant, smudge proof, and lies comfortably on the eye with no pulling or tugging. I don't usually wear a lot of black eyeliner, I prefer brown, so I think I will give this to either my sister or my daughter.

OFRA-Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick-Pasadena ($19.90)- OFRA long lasting liquid lipstick is a one step full color that does not feather. It is creamy and soft in texture, moisturizing the lips and creating a long lasting lipstick effect. OMG! A lip product that isn't red in a subscription box! I have been wanting to try this liquid lipsticks for a while, but they are not easily available in Canada, now I get to, in a color I would actually wear and be comfortable in.

OFRA Oil Control Pressed Powder ($39.95)- This oil control pressed powder was designed to keep your makeup in tact all da! Perfect for oil control. Suitable for sensitive skin. This is a colorless powder that I am looking forward to trying out on my nose area, the only place I really get oily.

There was a difference between the Canadian and American boxes for June though. US received a LUX nail polish, and Canadians received the OFRA liquid lipstick. I was looking forward to the nail polish, but at least the lipstick is a shade that can be worn for everyday. Hopefully they don't start doing what the other US boxes did and start putting different things in boxes. I think that having a lot of variety is good, but than some people will get upset that they didn't get the 'one thing' that they 'could have' gotten.

As you may have noticed all of the products in Boxycharm are FULL SIZE! No dinky little sample cards of powder, sizes you can actually use your favorite brushes with. I like the fact that Boxycharm are full size products, no tiny samples. Boxycharm is by no means a cheap subscription box at $35 CAD (approx) but I do think it is worth the money as you are not getting sample sizes. Now if only the shipping to Canada could come sooner than the end of the month! We will see if the shipping time gets better!

What do you think of Boxycharm? Is it something you are interested in? I love getting mail and beauty boxes are like a little surprise present to myself every month!

Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. Well, the testing is over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. If you want to read about the introduction you can click here, Part 1 - Body scrubs here, and Part 2 - Deodorants here.I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

All the shiney Mystery products.

You know the drill about marathon posts and Pictures!

Face Serums -

5 shiney Face Serums.

Again, as per my previous posts, I tested them in numerical order. I was pretty sure on what the last 2 products where, they have pretty unique bottles. I also had a fairly good idea on 145. The instructions for each Face Serum were the same for all - minimum duration of 7 days. Directions - Apply daily, morning and evening before your regular skincare routine.

Effect on skin after 7 days - My skin felt soft, plumper and more moisturized than before.

Scent - This had a light, slight rose? scent that wasn't strong at all and faded very quickly.

Thoughts - I really loved how this made my skin feel after I figured out to only use 3 drops or so and not the entire dropper! I found that 3 or so drops was enough to do my face as well as my neck. I really like the slim, sleek gold packaging of this. The twist dropper was great as it made sure there was more than enough to use each time I opened it up. I didn't notice much difference in how my makeup applied over top of this one either. Price $230 CAD.

145 - Clarins Supra Restorative Remodeling Serum -

Texture - This one was a fairly thick cream that came out of a pump style bottle.

Absorption - Despite the thickness of this one it did absorb fairly quickly into the skin.

Moisturizing effect when applied - At first I was using 1 pump and it left my face feeling tight, once I started using 2 pumps it felt much better.

Effect on the skin after 7 days - I had a few breakouts while using this but I wasn't entirely sure it was the product. I didn't notice anything else though.

Scent - It has a light fresh scent that doesn't last at all once applied to your face.

Thoughts - I wasn't to impressed by the Clarins serum. I found I had to use what I think would be twice as much as I should have to get a moisturized effect on my skin. It also left my face feeling slightly sticky until I put on the rest of my regular skincare. Again not mush difference under makeup! Since I wasn't sure this was the cause of a few breakouts I decided to use this one up first to see if it was the reason. I am happy to say that it wasn't this serum, just hormones! Price $136.00 CAD.

191 - Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum -

Texture - Another thick gel in a pump bottle.

Absorption - This seemed to take forever to sink into my skin, and it still felt slightly tacky after.

Moisturizing effect when applied - I did find that my skin felt softer after applying this, just slightly tacky?

Effect on the skin after 7 days - This serum did make me break out, on my forehead, chin and cheeks.

Scent - This has a floral scent that is fairly strong to me that took a while to fade.

Thoughts - I was not a fan of the Chanel serum at all. It made me break out everywhere and the scent was just to much for me, even though I am not usually sensitive to scents. This dried slightly sticky and kind of made my face look a bit shiney. I think that this serum is best used at night as for me it just takes to much time to soak into the skin. Again no difference in makeup application. Price $125.00 CAD.

196 - Jurlique Nutri-Define Superior Retexturising Facial Serum -

Texture - this comes out like a milky cream, not to runny and not to thick.

Absorption - It absorbed fairly quickly into skin.

Moisturizing effect when applied - I only needed to use 1 pump for my face and it was enough to make my skin feel moisturized and not tight feeling.

Effect on skin after 7 days - After the 7 day trial period, my skin felt softer than before.

Scent - Another rose scented product that is strong when you first put it on but does eventually fade.

Thoughts - I liked this one except for the rose scent! I like the smell of roses, just not so strong so close! Jurlique left my skin feeling softer and feeling moisturized, now if only it didn't smell like roses. I found that my makeup went on great while using this serum, it didn't seem to make a difference in the longevity or the way it applied over it. Price $138.00 CAD

246 - Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate -

Texture - Another milky cream colored serum.

Absorption - Took a bit to absorb into skin.

Moisturizing effect when applied - My face felt kind of sticky when I first applied it but once it absorbed into my skin it left my face feeling softer.

Effect on skin after 7 days - My skin felt softer after using the Lancôme serum than before I had used it.

Scent - Finally a serum with barely any scent to it!

Thoughts - I was somewhat surprised that I liked this serum as I wasn't expecting to like it. I had originally thought that it would have an 'old lady' smell to it, happily it didn't. I didn't notice a huge difference in my skin after the 7 days other than it felt more moisturized. I didn't find any difference in how my makeup went on over top of it either. Price $99.00 CAD.

Once again, after I submitted my log book it showed me my favorite. Unfortunately for my wallet it was the first one, Swissline Cell Shock. The Swissline just seemed to work the best in the short time I used each of the serums. I think my second choice would surprisingly be the Lancôme, it's only downside was waiting for the stickiness to go away. Jurlique was also not a bad one other than the scent. Clarins only issue for me was the few breakouts which I didn't think were caused by the product. The worst one for me was the Chanel, for me the lingering scent was just to much. Add to that the fact that it took awhile to absorb and that was enough for me to not want to use it. My sister though did really like it and I will be giving her the bottle! I am curious to see if after using each of the serums up if I will change my mind about any of them? I will keep you updated in empties post as I use them up.

The Face Serum category was another one that I didn't have much experience with before this testing began, for some reason serums just never interested me and seemed like an added step. I also for some reason thought that it would make my makeup apply differently, not last as long. I am glad I was given the chance to find out that I was wrong. Since doing the testing, Face Serums are another product I am happily now including in my routine!

I was pretty sure about 3 of the 5 Face Serums I was sent and this time I was right, at least about the brand! Any surprises for you in this category? Is there a face serum you like that you think I might enjoy?

My Empties Bag filled up really quickly this time! I went through a lot of product this past month, although I was near finished quite a few last month! Not many samples this month...but the Sample Stash is still growing! I think I have an idea of how I may be able to start getting through it though, look for a post on that soon!

I am going to start off with Body stuff, the not so exciting stuff, but the stuff we all use all the time.

Hair and Body Empties I finished up in June.

Bath & BodyWorks Mahogany Teak Wood Hand Soap - We go through at least one of these a month, I only buy them when they are on sale (think $3-4 each!). I like these for keeping at all the sinks in our house, they don't dry out my hands to much and leave a nice scent behind. This scent I was not a fan of though, it just seemed to 'woodsy' for me. Glad to have it finally gone and ready for the recycle bin. Repurchase? Not this scent.

Baléa Exfoliating Foot Scrub - I picked this packet up at Shopper's Drug Mart to try out and I really like it. It has a good amount of grit to help get the dry skin off of your feet and has a cooling minty feel on my feet. I was able to get 2 uses out of the package which it pretty good considering you can get 3 for $5 I think? Repurchase? Yes.

Bath & BodyWOrks Waikiki Beach Coconut Body Cream - I found the scent on this lotion to be a mixture of coconut and sweet! It smelled great and the scent lingered for awhile after. I am wishing I had picked up more than 1 tube! The Bath &BodyWorks 24 hour moisture Ultra Shea Body Cream is one of my favorites to use after a shower, especially in the winter. Repurchase? Always, and once again always on sale!

Wella Thermal Image Heat Protection Spray - I think I recieved this spray in a TopBox, a few years ago.... I really liked it and it lasted forever. It made my hair shiney and soft and helped keep my hair straight when I used a flat iron. Repurchase? I am not even sure if it is available anymore and I have a few other heat protectant sprays to get through. Maybe?

Nivea Invisible For Black & White Anti-Perspirant - I received this anti-perspirant in my Elle Canada Grand Prix testing products, if you would like to see what my first impressions were of it you can read it here. I really liked this anti-perspirant, it worked and didn't stain any of my clothes! Repurchase? Yes!

Bath & BodyWorks PocketBac Honeydew Cooler - I have started using these little hand sanitizers again lately. They are a great size to cli to your purse and take anywhere with you. They aren't the most cost effective but they comein some great scents! Honeydew Cooler has a nice fresh scent that again lingers, I have ot be careful using some of the scents at work but this one seems to pass! Repurchase? Yes.

Schick Intuition Advanced Moisture refill - I go through at least one of these a month, not having to mess around with shave cream and a razor at 5am is a very good thing! Not to mention they are a great price at Costco, razor plus 12 refills for under $30 CAD, lasts me almost a year. Repurchase? Always.

Curl Keeper Ultimate Hold with Frizz Control - I think I got this in a Birchbox? not to sure. I have been using this gel when I am going to let my hair air dry. It helped to keep my hair from going frizzy and also hold the wave in for the day. I was worried that it would leave my hair crunchy but it did not! I have another sample that I am working through now, not to sure on where I can pick this up though. Repurchase? If I can find it!

Next we have some face care.

Face care/perfume empties for June 2016.

Kirkland Daily Facial Towelettes - What can I say, I like a few things I can pick up at Costco! I use these everyday to wipe my face off of the makeup remover I use before I use my Clarisonic. I find that I do have to store them upside down so that they stay moist, other than that I can't find anything that works as good as these do. Especially for the price. The wipes have a nice texture to them that seems to help remove my makeup. Repurchase? Always.

Fluffs Cotton Pads - I use these cotton pads for everything! They have a good thickness that doesn't seem to absorb all the products I use them with. They also don't leave any bits of cotton my face! I use them to remove eye makeup, nail polish, and to apply my toner. They are $1.25 at Dollarama and you get 100 in the package. Repurchase? Always.

Neat & Easy Deep Cleansing Nose strips - Another Dollarama find! $3? for a box at Dollarama. I find that these work just as well at cleaning out my pores on my nose as Biore, at a fraction of the price. I keep meaning to use these more frequently, and than I forget! I am hoping to use these more! Repurchase? Yes.

Garnier Clean Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser - I received this from Garnier back in March of 2015....I kind of forgot about it until I used up FaceShop cleanser and was cleaning out my bathroom! I finished it off and still liked it! I wouldn't use it alone as my main method of removing makeup but it works great as a first step. Repurchase? Maybe, but I do really like the Faceshop Mango Seed one best.

Marcelle Gentle Make-Up For Sensitive Eyes - I think I got this travel size in a gratis bag from the Womens Show a few months ago. I was not expecting to like this as my sister hates it! But I did really like it, it removed my eye makeup (including water proof mascara) easily and without much rubbing. That is a huge plus for me as I don't need any help getting more wrinkles there! This is a bi-phase cleanser so if you don't shake it to mix it it doesn't do anything! I found it comparable to Lancôme at a slightly lower price. Repurchase? I probably will whenever I run out off my samples....

Tarte Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost MOisturizer - I got this sample size in 2 kits I picked up in the Spring, Skin Squad and Make A Splash. So I actually have another sample of this to use up but I think I may wait until the fall. I liked this but did find it to be maybe just a little to moisturizing for my skin right now during the daytime, under makeup. The scent of this is great though, if you like citrus scents. Repurchase? I doubt it, I have other moisturizers I like better.

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Deep Dive Cleansing Gel - Another sample from the Spring sets I picked up. I didn't really like this cleanser at all though. I found it to be quite drying and my face felt really tight after using it. Maybe that's why the moisturizer is so moisturizing?! I am going to give my daughter the other sample I have of this, maybe she will like it better than I did. Repurchase? No.

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask - A deluxe sample from a favorites set maybe? I didn't notice any difference when I used this mask. My face didn't feel more moisturized or less moisturized, the later is a good thing! I like trying out skincare in sample sizes so I can decide if it is something I want to buy full size of without buying a full size. Repurchase? No.

Josie Maran Argan Oil - Yay! I used up a skincare sample! I have started using Argan Oil at night as part of my nightly skincare routine. I mix 2 drops in with my serum and it seems to be making my skin feel more hydrated when I wake up in the morning. I was worried that oil would make my skin oilier but that has not been the case. I do have quite a few more samples to get through so I think it will be awhile before I need to purchase any. Repurchase? Yes. eventually.

Lancôme La vie est belle - I didn't finish this perfume sample, the scent just is not for me at all. On my skin all I can smell are the floral notes, and they are strong. Repurchase? No

Clean Sueded Oud - I don't know what it is about this scent but I really liked it. It lasted all day on me and wasn't really strong, just a nice clean scent! Almost masculine, but not quite. Repurchase? Maybe

Marchesa Parfum D'Extase - 3 perfume samples! Another light fresh scent that I liked wearing while it lasted! Even though this perfume has a floral scent it seemed to work for me, not to strong, just right. Repurchase? Maybe.

A little something different, candle empties!

I have recently rediscovered my love for scented candles! I used to love burning candles, not sure why I stopped actually. Anyway I have started again, and this time I have found Yankee Candle! I will be posting a 'little' candle haul later on, Yankee Candle has had a few great sales that I just had to indulge in! I like Fresh, Fruity, Sweet scents.

Orange Dreamsicle - I picked this candle up thinking it would smell like an Orange Dreamsicle, which I love! Sadly, to my nose it didn't quite capture the scent. I got really tired of this scent really quickly. It didn't smell like orange, nor did it smell sweet, it just smelled a little weird. I couldn't wait to finish this candle to get rid of it.. I did however find out that I really don't like the Large jar candles, they are a pain to light, BBQ lighter is needed for these! It also made a big mess on the rim of the jar, a lot of soot, keep away from your light colored walls! Repurchase? No

Pure Radiance Crackling After Dark - I wanted to try out one of the Crackling candles and this was the scent I found that I liked the most. I did like this candle but I won't be buying another Crackling candle, when it is burning you have to watch as the wood wick sends sparkes out. The sound of the wood burning was very soothing, but I was not happy when I saw sparks coming out. Repurchase? No

Sunset Breeze Votive - I loved the scent of this candle! It has a great Fresh, Fruity scent with a great throw! I could smell this candle on the whole level of my house that I was burning it on, but it also wasn't overpowering in my office! Repurchase? I already have, a few times!

Catching Rays Votive - Another great scent for me! This scent is more orange, I think, whatever it is I like it! Great throw on this one to, and still not to overpowering. Repurchase? Yes again a few times.

Bahama Breeze Votive - Can you tell I like Fruity scents?! Same as the previous 2, great all around. Repurchase? You betcha!

That was a lot of product! I finished off a few full sized items that have been hanging around with just a bit left in them. Do you do that at all? Switch to something else when a product is almost done? I am trying to get through the Sample Stash, but I keep forgetting about the products. I think I may have a new system to get through them, I'll let you know later this month what I am going to try out! Did you finish up many products last month? Working on a Sample Stash of your own? Let me know!

Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in teh Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. Well the testing is over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. If you want to read about the introduction you can click here, and Part 1 - Body scrubshere. I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape and residue off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

The shiney Mystery products.

As I had said in my Part 1 post, to not make this a marathon read, I have broken up the post into each of the 4 categories that I received.

Part 2 - Deodorants-

4 shiney Mystery Deodorants!

Part 2 is all about deodorant! Not the most glamorous bunch of products, but they are all products that we use everyday. Before I received my Elle package I had been using Men's Right Guard for my anti-perspirant as I was finding that women's just wasn't cutting it for me! I am happy to say that I was able to find a couple in the bunch that worked well for me! Again I tested in numerical order to make it easy on myself. I thought I knew what each one was, I was wrong about one of them!

For the testing of the Deodorants we were told to use them for a minimum duration of 7 days. Directions were all to apply directly to under arms, except for 204-spray under arms.

00 - Nivea Invisible for black & white-

Texture - Stick Solid.

Ease of application - applied smoothly

Effectiveness over the course of the day - Worked great for the whole day.

Side effects - I didn't notice any.

Scent - I loved the fresh scent of this, it lasted all day but wasn't overpowering in the least.

Thoughts - The Nivea Deodorant felt creamy going on and has a great fresh scent that wasn't overpowering at all. I didn't notice that it left any residue on my clothes either which was a bonus! Price $5.99 CAD.

140 - Clarins Déodorant Roll-On -

Texture - cream roll on, felt slimy!

Ease of application - This needed to be shaken before each use.

Effectiveness over the course of the day - This seemed to work well at first until about the 9 hour mark....

Side effects - This seemed to take forever to dry! I was flapping my arms like a chicken trying to get it to dry so I could finish getting dressed for work!

Scent - Another great fresh scent that wasn't overpowering, at first at least!

Thoughts - This was the one that I was wrong about what product it was! I thought this was a Nivea Roll On, I had no clue that Clarins made Deodorant. This one made me remember why I didn't like Roll-On deodorant, they go on so wet and slimy feeling, not a great way to start your day. I was also disappointed when I noticed that it did not last the whole day. After the first day I started tossing this in my purse so I could 'freshen' it up at lunch! Price $21.00 CAD.

204 - Dove Dry Spray -

Texture - Dry spray

Ease of application - I really didn't like this at all, for it's intended purpose that is! I don't know about you but I needed to look where I was spraying, not a good thing as I ended up breathing it in and than proceeding to cough like crazy!

Effectiveness over the course of the day - This was another one that didn't last until bedtime! It did however last longer than the Clarins! About 12 hours.

Side effects - A lot of coughing during application.

Scent - Nice fresh scent with a bit of floral? Not sure but I did like it.

Thoughts - I found out very quickly that I am not a fan of dry spray deodorants! It did dry very quickly and without any residue which was a bonus. I have found another use for this though that keeps the coughing to a minimum! I had read somewhere, I am sorry I can't remember were, to use a spray deodorant if you have chafing! It works like a charm for this! Price $7.99 CAD.

227 - Secret Clinical Invisible Solid -

Texture - Solid.

Ease of application - This applied very smoothly and didn't drag.

Effectiveness over the course of the day - This lasted all day! No unwanted smells at all!

Side effects - I didn't notice any.

Scent - A great fresh clean scent.

Thoughts - I really liked this deodorant a lot. It went on smoothly and I didn't have to wait for it to dry! The scent was a fresh clean scent that wasn't overpowering but it worked. Price $10.99 CAD.

Once again after I had submitted my log book from the testing, it calculated my answers and gave me my favorite of the 4. For me it showed as the last one, Secret Clinical Invisible Solid. Secret did what it was supposed to do without any unwanted side effects. Went on smoothly, clean fresh scent, and it worked! Nivea would have to be a close second as it to did it's job well. I am glad that I found another use for the Dove Dry Spray that works great for me. Clarins made me realize that Roll-On is not the kind of deodorant for me, as well as expensive doesn't always mean better.

I know that deodorant isn't the most exciting product to read about but it is something most of use on a daily basis. For me, it was worth it to find out that there are Deodorants out there besides Men's that can work for me when I am having some hot moments!

Did you know what the products were by the packaging? Did you know that Clarins made Deodorant, or did you think it was Nivea as well?

Happy Canada Day long weekend! I hope you get to enjoy and celebrate the long weekend if you are living in Canada! Back in March I told you all about getting chosen to participate in the Elle Quebec/Canada Beauty Grand Prix and gave you a look at the products and categories of the products that I was sent to blind test. If you want to check out that post you can click here. Well, the testing is finally over and I have submitted my log book and gave my opinion on all 18 products I received. I received products in Body Scrub (3), Deodorants (3), Face Serum (5), and Dry Shampoo (6). I was a little surprised on what some of the products were once I was able to get all the sparkly tape off. Let me tell you I learned quickly the best way to get tape gunk off! Hint-Peanut butter and patience won out for me!

All the shiney wrapped Mystery products.

I want to give you my thoughts on each product and so as not to make this post a 30 minute marathon read, I have decided to split it up into 4 parts. Each part will be on a separate category.

First up are the Body Scrubs-

3 shiney wrapped Body Scrubs.

I tested each product in numerical order, I figured that would be the easiest way to keep track of them! I had no idea on what any of the Body Scrubs were as this is an area that I previously had not used many products from. For the testing we were asked to use each product for a minimum duration of 3-5 days over 10 days. Directions were - Under shower or in bath, rub gently over body, concentrating on the elbows, knees and heels. Rinse well.

058 - Moroccanoil Body Buff Rose Petal Exfoliant -

Texture - I found the scrub to be thick and kind of slimy feeling. The granules sink to the bottom of the jar so you do need to 'stir' it before each use.

Application - I am not a fan of products in pots no matter what it is, I hate sticking my fingers in things!

Exfoliation - One of the places the Moroccanoil excelled in was in how well it exfoliates! It had the right amount of granules to get a good scrub, but not enough to be irritating.

Skin after rinsing - I found that on the days I used this, I almost didn't need to use moisturizer it was that moisturizing.

Scent - This is the worst thing about it! It has a very strong rose scent that hangs around for quite a while afterwards.

Thoughts - Once you get past the scent, or if you like rose scent, I loved this product. The scent stayed on the skin for quite awhile and in the bathroom! Felt slimy/sticky when applying but easily washed away. I would really liked to have seen an applicator included with this product so you didn't have to 'stir' it with your fingers each time. Price $52.oo CAD.

078 - Dans un Jardin -

Texture - I found this scrub to be very thick! It was a good thing that they included an applicator because if you needed to use your fingers in this one you would have ended up with a lot under your nails! It had the texture of a thick paste.

Application - Another product in a pot,the included spatula made this product a lot easier to get out of the tub.

Exfoliation - This at first felt like I was rubbing sandpaper on my body, but then it quickly melted and there was no more exfoliating to be had! It was very weird.

Skin after rinsing - I found my skin to be softer after using this body scrub but I could tell were I had first applied it to my skin as it was a little irritated.

Scent - This one has a slight strawberry, fruity scent. It wasn't overpowering, just nice!

Thoughts - This scrub is very thick and rough at first but the granules quickly melt away. Because of this I felt like I needed to use more to get an even exfoliation. Price $19.95 CAD.

143 - Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub For Smooth Skin -

Texture - I found this scrub to be really creamy with a perfect amount of 'grit' to it!

Application - Finally, a tube! I loved the fact that this scrub came in a tube, no mess, it made it so much easier to use.

Exfoliation - This body scrub had the right amount of granules, enough to feel like it was doing its job but not enough to feel like I was rubbing sandpaper over my body.

Skin after rinsing - I found my skin felt softer after using, I did need to use a moisturizer afterwards though.

Scent - This body scrub has a nice soft fresh scent that didn't cling to my body, or bathroom! I was able to smell just my moisturizer afterwards.

Thoughts - I found that I used more of this at a time as it is a bit thick coming out of the tube. It didn't seem to spread as easily at first as some others I have tried. Price $45.00 CAD.

And here are all the Body Scrubs, minus the sparkly tape.

After I had submitted my log book for the testing, I was told which products in each category were my favorites. For the Body Scrub it showed Clarins as being my favorite of the 3. Clarins, for me ticked a lot of boxes, Scent, packaging ( a TUBE!!), and feel. The only thing I didn't like was that it seemed that I used more product than the others as it did come out thick and took a bit for it to spread. The Moroccanoil was a great product, once I got past the scent! If I was to find another scent on sale I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. The $52.oo CAD price tag is a little steep. Dans un Jardin has a great scent, but was a little to harsh for my skin. I will use it up as a hand scrub, I think it will be great for getting the dirt off my hands after working outside this summer!

I really enjoyed trying out all the products in the Body Scrub category, especially as it was something I hadn't used much of in the past. I have Keratosis Pilaris on my upper arms and legs and after having tested out the body scrubs I have found that the bumps have gone down a lot. I do still have redness my skin does feel smoother than it has in a long time. I will now make Body scrubs part of my regular routine!

Did you know what any of the products where just by the shape of the package? Did any pique your interest?

Well, I guess it's back to back Becca! My sister waited in line at Sephora last Thursday to be sure to get this palette! She didn't want to order it online as she was given a gift certificate for Mother's Day and this was what she wanted! Why doesn't Sephora allow us to use gift cards online?! She was texting me while I was at work, when she first got there, 20 minutes before the store opened that there were a few girls ahead of her and by the time the store was opening there were 20 of them, all waiting for this palette. When she got in store they had 10 on the shelf, I am thinking a few girls walked away disappointed, luckily my sister was near the front of the line and was able to get hers. When I stopped in the store last night they had about 15 on display, so if you are wanting this palette head in or call your local Sephora to see if they have any in stock.

In the palette you are getting 2 Shimmering Skin Perfectors Pressed in Champagne Pop and Prosecco Pop, 2 Mineral Blushes in Amaretto and Pamplemousse, and 1 Luminous Blush in Rosé Spitz. All of the products in the palette are just slightly smaller than if you were to purchase the full sizes separately.

Palette Full Size

Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed 0.19oz 0.28oz

Mineral Blush 0.12oz 0.2oz

Luminous Blush 0.10oz 0.21oz

You are getting a great deal though buying the palette if they are shades you see yourself wearing. A full size Shimmering Skin Perfector is $46 CAD, Mineral Blush $39 CAD and Luminous Blush $41 CAD each. When my sister picked up the palette on launch day it was $59 CAD, but checking Sephora.ca today it is now $62 CAD?! It went up in price in less than a week?

Rosé Spritz - Luminous Blush - soft peachy pink with pale gold shimmer. I found this one to have a lot of shimmer and shine. I would use this one as more of a blush topper/high lighter.

Amaretto - Mineral Blush - matte toasted almond. This is my favorite in the palette, perfect neutral-y shade to go with almost anything!

Pamplemousse - Mineral Blush - matte warm coral pink. This one can get out of hand quickly if you aren't careful! A nice pink for the warm days!

Swatches of Rosé Spritz, Amaretto and Pamplemousse.

Champagne Pop - Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed - soft white gold with peachy pink undertones. I found that the Champagne Pop in this palettes formula was just a little stiffer than last years stand alone shade, but the pigmentation is definitely there!

Prosecco Pop - Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed - medium warm gold. They aren't kidding around when they call this a warm gold! To me this is a very intense gold highlight!

Swatches of Champagne Pop and Prosecco Pop, no glitter, just shine!

I found the products in the palette to be the same quality that you would expect from Becca. All the shades were very pigmented yet easy to blend out if you got a little heavy handed! One thing I will say about the blushes is that they are very soft, I am not sure that they would travel well! I just have to lightly tap my brush in the product and get enough on the brush, no swirling for days here!

I won't be picking up the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Pop Face Palette myself, but am glad that my sister did! I already own Champagne Pop and don't use it near enough, nor for it's intended purpose! The 2 matte blush shades are my favorite, I love Becca's blush formula. I do definitely think it is worth picking up if you were wanting Champagne Pop and/or to try out some great pigmented blushes.

So my low-buy went out the window last month! I may not have been blogging but I was shopping, alot! I have a few new sets to give you a peek at and thought I would start with the Best of Becca - Blushed Radiance set that I found online at The Bay. I picked up this set for $39.50 CAD, the box tells me it is a value of $78 CAD. There were a few things in the set that I had been wanting to try out and if you have been around here long, you know my love of value sets!

In the set you are getting -

Best Of Becca - Blushed Radiance Set.

Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Wand-Moonstone (5g)- A sheer liquid highlighter that veils skin in a soft pearlized glow. Apply to targeted areas including cheek bones, brow bones and bridge of nose. I have a few liquid highlighters but none from Becca! When I first swatched this I thought that there was no way that I would use this, it is so pigmented! But when I blended it out, it gave such a nice sheen, no glitter just luminosity. I am looking forward to giving this a try and seeing how it translates on my skin!

Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed-Opal (2.4g)-A creamy luminizing powder that veils skin in a soft pearlized glow with a lustrous velvet finish. Sweep across face or apply to targeted areas including cheekbones, brow bones and bridge of nose. This product is the only one in the set that I have already. I have not used any of the Becca Shimmering Skin perfectors that I have as highlighters, I really do need to use them that way though, but I have used them as eyeshadows! Opal is a beautiful warm shade that I think looks great on so many different skin tones. I used my full size Opal for the swatches and have set this mini size aside for a giveaway!

Mineral Blush-Flowerchild (2.4g)-A delicate powder blush. Create perfect cheeks with this effortlessly buildable formula that features micro-fine minerals and antioxidant vitamins to achieve a naturally flushed look for all skin types, even the most sensitive. I had been looking at Flowerchild in store and when I saw it in this kit it just made my decision even easier to pick it up. Flowerchild is a warm pink with some peach in it, perfect for summer! I have Wild Honey in a full size and both this mini and the full size wear the same! They both last through a full work day and into the evening for me, about 10 hours. They fade nicely without looking patchy. I do find that you have to be careful with the Mineral Blush formula though, it is soft and very pigmented, if you aren't careful you can end up with a bit more color than you were thinking! It is easy to blend out if you do happen to get a bit much on, which is helpful!

Backlight Priming Filter (6mL)-More than just a primer, it's the secret BEHIND the iconic BECCA glow. INfused with three unique Filtering Luminescent Pearls, this lightweight fluid creates a smooth canvas and acts as an instant filter. Blurs imperfections and gives skin a healthy, luminescent glow. If you are like me you have heard so many people raving about the Becca Backlight Priming Filter, that I knew I wanted to give it a try. I haven't tried it out yet but I will soon. This was another reason I picked up the set though, I want to see if it is really as good as everyone else says! In the swatch it looks like it will give a nice sheen to the skin, no glitter here either! I am thinking that I may try mixing it in with a more matte foundation to give it a little more life!

As you can see below the sizes in the Best Of Becca - Blushed Radiance set might be mini but they are still a really good size. I like mini sizes as they are a great way to try out products without spending the amount for a full size, and I have yet to finish off a mini size of a color product let alone a full size! The Mineral blush in the set is 2.4g, whereas the full size blush is 6g, just over a third of the size. The Shimmering skin Perfector mini is 2.4g again and a full size is 8g, the mini size is a great size for a highlighter as well.

I think the Best Of Becca - Blushed Radiance Set is a great set for anyone wanting to try out a few different products from Becca without buying full-size products. You are able to try out 4 different products in popular shades for under $40 CAD! If I was to buy all 4 products full size it would have cost me $181 CAD, that's quite a lot to try out 4 products! Even though all the products are mini/deluxe sample size, I don't mind that. I personally would rather spend $40 CAD to try out a few different products than almost $200! I think from the sizes of the 4 products I will be able to tell if it is something I will use a lot and need to pick up a full size.

Do any of these products catch your eye? What do you think about Favorites/Best Of sets? Good deal? Or no?